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Byzantine–Moorish Wars
The Byzantine–Moorish wars were a series of wars fought between the Byzantine Empire and the various Berbers, Berber kingdoms which formed after the collapse of Roman North Africa. The war also featured other rebels such as the renegades of Stotzas and the Vandalic rebels of Guntarith. The war ended with the Berbers attempting to push the Romans out of Africa being defeated at the battle of the Fields of Cato, and the Byzantines being too weakened to take over the various newly formed kingdoms such as Mauro-Roman Kingdom, Altava and the Kingdom of the Aurès. Sources The two sources for the Byzantine wars in North Africa of the 6th Century are Corippus and Procopius. Both are important primary sources. Procopius accompanied the Roman army during its campaigns and was directly in contact with Belisarius. Corippus was a Roman poet who witnessed the wars. Both give a relatively similar timeline of events in Africa. However, Corippus seems to have written a panegyric which wante ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares maritime borders with Italy through the islands of Sicily and Sardinia to the north and Malta to the east. It features the archaeological sites of Carthage dating back to the 9th century BC, as well as the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Known for its ancient architecture, Souks of Tunis, souks, and blue coasts, it covers , and has a population of 12.1 million. It contains the eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert; much of its remaining territory is arable land. Its of coastline includes the African conjunction of the western and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Basin. Tunisia is home to Africa's northernmost point, Cape Angela. Located on the northeastern coast, Tunis is the capital and List of cities ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Troglita
John Troglita (, ) was a 6th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine general. He participated in the Vandalic War and served in North Africa as a regional military governor during the years 533–538, before being sent east to the wars with the Sassanid Empire, Sassanid Persians. As ''dux Mesopotamiae'', Troglita distinguished himself in several battles, and was noticed by agents of the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I (reign, r. 527–565). In summer 546, Justinian chose John Troglita to assume overall command of Byzantine forces in Africa, where a succession of revolts by the indigenous Berbers, Moorish tribes and within the imperial army itself had seriously reduced the Byzantine position. Troglita quickly secured an initial victory in the winter of 546/547 against the Moors of Byzacena, but was defeated in summer 547 by the tribes of Tripolitania, and Africa was once again laid open to destructive raids. Troglita reorganized his army and secured the assistance of some tribal leaders, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John (Mauro-Roman King)
John (), referred to as John the Tyrant and sometimes given the nickname Stotzas the Younger (Latin: ''Stutias Iunior'') after his predecessor, Stotzas, was a Berber military leader. Given his name, ''Ioannes'', John was probably, like Stotzas, of Eastern Roman descent and only briefly commanded his army against the Eastern Roman Empire. After the defeat of Stotzas, John was chosen by the combined Berber-Eastern Roman rebel army and he supported the Vandal restoration attempt of ''dux Numidiae'' Guntarith, who seized the province of Africa proconsularis in spring 546 and killed the imperial governor Aerobindus in Carthage. When Guntarith began to consolidate his regime with purges and mass executions, the ''strategos'' Artabanes managed to have Guntarith assassinated just five weeks after the rebellion began. John, who had taken refuge in a church, was arrested by Artabanes and sent in chains to Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antalas
Antalas (; c. 500 – after 548) was a Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa. Antalas and his tribe, the Frexes initially served the Byzantines as allies, but after 544 switched sides. With the final Byzantine victory in his and his tribe once again became Byzantine subjects. The main sources on his life are the epic poem ''Iohannis'' of Flavius Cresconius Corippus and the ''Histories of the Wars'' of Procopius of Caesarea. Life Antalas was born c. 500, and was the son of a certain Guenfan, according to Corippus. He belonged to Frexes tribe of Byzacena (modern central Tunisia). Corippus reports that Antalas career began at the age of seventeen, stealing sheep. He soon followers around him and became a brigand, fighting against the Vandals. By 530, he had become leader of the Berbers in Byzacena, and in the same year led them to a decisive victory against the Vandals. Following the Vandalic War (533 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stotzas
Stotzas (Greek language, Greek: Στότζας), also Stutias, Theophanes writes him Tzotzas (Τζότζας), was an Byzantine Empire, East Roman (Byzantine) soldier and leader of a military rebellion in the Praetorian prefecture of Africa in the 530s. Stotzas attempted to establish Africa as a separate state and had been chosen by the rebelling soldiers as their leader. Nearly succeeding in taking Carthage, Stotzas was defeated at the Battle of the Bagradas River (536), Battle of the River Bagradas by Belisarius and fled into Numidia, where he regrouped. After another attempt at taking control of Africa, Stotzas was defeated by Germanus (cousin of Justinian I), Germanus in 537 and fled with some of his followers into Mauretania. In Mauretania, Stotzas would marry the daughter of a local noble and would allegedly be raised to King in 541 AD. He followed the Berber king Antalas in his rebellion against Eastern Roman rule in 544 AD. In the Battle of Thacia in autumn of 545 AD, Stotzas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mastigas
Mastigas or Mastinas (, ) ruled the Mauro-Roman Kingdom during the sixth century as King of the Moors and Romans, succeeding Masuna. During the reign of Mastigas, the Mauro-Roman Kingdom governed almost the entire ancient Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis, except for the former capital of Caesarea which was held by the Eastern Roman Empire. Mastigas would ally with Iaudas, ruler of the Kingdom of the Aurès and an enemy of both the Eastern Roman Empire and the previous Mauro-Roman king, Masuna, in an attempt at capturing territory from other smaller Berber kingdoms in the region. Unlike Iaudas and his kingdom, the realm of Mastigas would not face any Eastern Roman attacks, possibly due to its more distant location, and would later on provide a safe haven for surviving defeated Berber forces and rebel Romans. Reign Mastigas ruled the Berbers of Mauretania Caesariensis in the late 530s, succeeding Masuna. The Eastern Roman historian Procopius is the only source on him, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John The Armenian
John the Armenian was a Byzantine official and military leader of Armenian origin. There is no written account of his physical appearance or confirmation of the year he was born. John served as financial manager of the campaign and was a close friend of Belisarius. He was killed during the Vandalic War in 533. John the Armenian was the linchpin general of the Byzantine army during the Vandalic war. John the Armenian lived the last few years of his life during the age of Justinian. Justinian came to power in 527 and would reign until 565 as emperor of the Byzantine Empire. A war erupted called the Vandalic War in 533. The Romans attacked during a time of dynastic strife. The Vandal kingdom presented an important economic boon in that it was a major grain supplier. War thus would provide the empire with large stores of grain and remove one of the nation's main imperial rivals. John the Armenian was present within the army of Belisarius from the onset of the Vandalic War and was part ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iabdas
Iaudas or Iabdas was a Berber leader of the sixth century and king of the Kingdom of the Aurès who held the Byzantines in check for a long time in the Aurès, and played an important role in the Berber revolts following the Moorish wars, Byzantine reconquest. Life and career Iaudas was the son-in-law of Méphanias, another tribal chief, whom he assassinated, and the brother-in-law of Massônas, son of Méphanias. According to Corippus, he was the ''dux'' of the ''Aurasitana manus'', i.e. the leader of the Auresian army, and according to Procopius, the leader of the Berbers of Aurasion. The latter also describes him as being “of all the Moors the handsomest and most valiant”. Prelude Following the Byzantine conquest of the Vandal Kingdom in 533-534, Emperor Justinian presented the Byzantine conquest of North Africa, African campaign to the Eastern Roman population as a defense of the Nicene Christian population of Africa. Initially characterized by religious pragmatism, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cutzinas
Cutzinas or Koutzinas () was a Berbers, Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in praetorian prefecture of Africa, Africa in the middle of the 6th century, fighting both against and for the Byzantines. A staunch Byzantine ally during the latter stages of the Berber rebellion, he remained an imperial vassal until his murder in 563 by the new Byzantine governor. Life Cutzinas was of mixed stock: his father was a Berber people, Berber, while his mother came from the Roman population of North Africa. Following the reconquest of North Africa by the Byzantine Empire, East Roman (Byzantine) Empire in the Vandalic War (533–534), several uprisings by the native Berber tribes occurred in the North African provinces. Cutzinas is mentioned by the eyewitness historian Procopius of Caesarea as one of the leaders of the rebellion in the province of Byzacena, alongside Esdilasas, Medisinissas and Iourphouthes. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Althias
Althias (; fl. 530) was a Hun military commander in the Byzantine Empire. He is noted for defeating Iaudas, king of the Moors, and his army with just 70 men. Biography He commanded the Hun auxiliaries of the Byzantine Empire in about 530 AD. He fought for the Romans in the Moorish wars. Here, he accomplished the feat of defeating Iaudas, King of the Moors, and his troops with just 70 cavalrymen. He led his seventy men to capture a spring located near to where Iaudas and his troop were attacking. The Moors reached the spring thirsty and Althias, who wanted to recover some prisoners, refused half of their booty in exchange of allowing them to the spring, proposing that he and the king of the Moors fight in single combat. The Moors rejoiced, as Althias was skinny and not tall, whereas Iaudas was their finest man. They fought mounted. Iaudas threw his spear at him but Althias, to the Moors' surprise, caught it with his right hand. Althias, who was ambidextrous, then drew his bow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masuna
Masuna or Massonas () was a Berber from what is now western Algeria who was said to have been a Christian, he ruled the Mauro-Roman Kingdom with its capital based in Altava which is now in present-day Algeria around the Tlemcen area. He was able to maintain the independence of his kingdom by resisting occupation from the Vandals. King Masuna allied with the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian and assisted him in a war against the Vandals in 533 and also against other invading Berber tribal confederations. During his reign he was obeyed by the tribes of Mauretania. Louis Voinot. L. Fouque. Reign Masuna is the earliest recorded ruler of the |
